Fed: Nelson attacked for excluding union from teaching review

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Fed: Nelson attacked for excluding union from teaching review

By Sandra O'Malley and Denis Peters

CANBERRA, Aug 8 AAP - Federal Education Minister Brendan Nelson today launched a reviewof teaching, excluding the profession's largest union.

Australian Education Union (AEU) federal president Denis Fitzgerald warned the reviewcould be seen as tainted and ideological because the teachers' union was excluded fromtaking part.

"Dr Nelson has insulted every teacher in Australia in one day," Mr Fitzgerald said.

"(He) has chosen not to listen directly to the messages that the profession would submitto such a review committee.

"The tragedy is that by refusing to listen to practical advice from the classroomsof the nation, the students of Australia may be the ones to suffer for the ideologicalfixation of the government."

The AEU represents 156,000 teachers in Australia.

Announcing the review of teaching and teacher education today, Dr Nelson said it aimedto build a culture of lifelong learning and innovation in Australian schools.

The education study is part of the government's innovation statement, Backing Australia'sAbility, and is designed to build on measures to pursue excellence in research, scienceand technology, as well as a strengthening of the skills base.

"Australia can be very proud of its teaching workforce and under no circumstances wouldI ... be criticising teachers, who in the end make an enormous contribution to producingwell-rounded and productive adult members of Australian society," Dr Nelson said.

"But there are issues in trying to get good qualified science, mathematics and informationtechnology teachers into our schools and keeping them in our schools.

"It's obvious that Australia's future is going to be based increasingly on researchand development in these areas."

Dr Nelson said the review would examine the barriers to attracting good quality teachersinto the education system and then keeping them there, as well as the best teaching practices.

Melbourne University deputy vice-chancellor Professor Kwong Lee Dow heads the review,which met in Sydney for the first time today.

The other members of the committee include Elizabeth O'Leary, executive director ofCatch 22 Asia Pacific; University of Notre Dame vice-chancellor Peter Tannock; FlindersUniversity vice-chancellor Anne Edwards; Steve Dinham, chair of Teacher Education, Pedagogyand Professional Development at the University of New England; Victorian Education Departmentsecretary Stuart Hamilton; James Cook University executive dean Janet Greeley and PhillipKiely, chair of the NSW Enterprise and Career Education Foundation.

The committee also includes four serving or retired principals from secondary schoolsin NSW, Victoria and South Australia.

It has been asked to consult widely on issues including teacher supply and demand,the impact of innovative pre-service and in-service programs, current teacher skills andinformation technology strategies.

The committee is due to provide an interim report in December, this year, and presentits final report early next year.

AAP so/kjp/las/sb

KEYWORD: TEACHERS NIGHTLEAD